of
Muscatine County Iowa
1911
| History of Muscatine County Iowa 1911 | |
Source: History of Muscatine County Iowa, Volume I, 1911, pages 247-248
GOSHEN TOWNSHIP. Goshen township was organized in 1857 and comprises all of township 78, north of range 3 west, is bounded on the east by Moscow, on the west by Wapsinonoc, on the south by Pike and Lake, and on the north by Cedar county. The Cedar river passes through the southeastern part of the township, while the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad crosses through the northern portion of the township from east to west. It was originally a part of Wapsinonoc. The land of Goshen is undulating, almost exclusively prairie and is adapted to the raising of cereals common to this latitude. It has good churches and schools. Of the latter there are eight, with an average of eight months' school throughout the year. The average attendance for each school is ten and the average cost per pupil is $3.50.
One of the early settlers was W. G. Holmes, who located in the township in 1837 and lived there over fifty years. John Smith was another early settler, who came in 1849. William C. Hudson, who had been pastor of the Presbyterian church of Muscatine, then Bloomington, moved on to a farm in this township in 1849. Of course there were others who came to the township in an early day but their names are not now obtainable.
ATALISSA. In 1847 William Lundy came to Muscatine county, settling in Goshen township. The town of Atalissa stands on the eighty acres of land which he owned, and is situated in the northeastern part of the township on section 11, on the line of the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad. This land was surveyed by Peter Houtz and the town plat filed for record by Mr. Lundy and John P. Cook, who later became a partner in the ownership with William Lundy, January 31, 1856. While mining in California, Captain Lundy was near a small mining village called Atalissa, named for an Indian queen of one of the tribes. Being pleased with the name, he adopted it for the name of the town in question and at the time remarked that the first female child born on the premises and named Atalissa, should be presented with a corner lot. Miss Atalissa Davis was the fortunate one to receive this lot. Atalissa is one of the best watering places for the railroad between Davenport and Des Moines. An immense spring twenty-five or thirty feet in diameter, situated in the northeast corner of the town, furnishes all the water for the railroad tank. This spring was donated to the railroad company by William Lundy. A postoffice was established in the town in 1856, N. C. Swank serving as the first postmaster. He also erected the first building in which he conducted a store. Among the earliest settlers in Goshen township, who came during the years 1837 to 1842, were James Thompson, a Mr. Boggs, Thomas Odell, William G. Holmes, John McIntosh, Samuel Fletcher, Elias Overman and James V. Smith.
The Atalissa Savings Bank occupies a modern brick building on Main street. The bank is capitalized at $12,500 and has a surplus of $6,000. Its deposits aggregate $125,000. The bank was organized in 1902. The officers are: George W. Black, president; J. Ervin Evans, vice president; S. H. Archibald, cashier ; John G. Vanhorn, assistant cashier. The directors are: R. W. Hinkhouse, C. C. Croxen, J. Ervin Evans, Henry Schmidt, John G. Klein, C. G. Brown and G. W. Black.
Atalissa has three churches, Presbyterian, Christian and German Lutheran. The Presbyterians at first held meetings in the depot building in April, 1857, Rev. Charles F. Beach being the pastor. He organized a society with the following charter members: William Kelley, J. D. Guild and wife, J. M. Guild and wife, Samuel Croxen and Mrs. Margaret Rilchey. A church was erected the same year and its first pastor was Rev. Dudley.
The Christian church was organized in June, 1870, by Elder J. C. Hay, there being thirty-six charter members. The first church was built in September, 1871.
As early as 1857 the Methodists were organized into a society but meeting with indifferent success services have been abandoned and new organizations made at various times.
Atalissa also has a splendid high school for the four-year course and also a grammar school. In the spring of 1911 the contract was let for a new high school building to cost $8,000.
The records of Ionic Lodge, No. 122, A. F. & A. M., were burned but a duplicate charter was issued June 7, 1866. The first officers under this charter were: T. L. Ady, M.; William Lundy, S. W.; James McIntosh, J. W.
Rose of Sharon Lodge, No. 101, I. 0. G. T., was organized May 2, 1876. The first officers were: William Lundy, W. C. T.; Eunice Cornwell, W. V. T.; C. F. Aiken, secretary; Linnie Harris, financial secretary; 0. Cornwell, P.; Lot Parker, chaplain; J. S.. Rowe, marshal; Eliza Rowe, I. G.; Walter Waiters, sentinel; Zephy Wright, Asst. Sec.; Fanny Neff, deputy marshal; Susan Parker, R. H. S.; Josephine H. Clark, L. H. S.
The Atalissa Temperance Reform Club was organized in March, 1876, with John Wilshire, as president; V. R. Rowe, secretary; Samuel Desbro, treasurer.
Atalissa is quite a business center and is noted for its shipments of stock. It has a population of 250 people, who give every evidence of prosperity and contentment. In the matter of live stock there are about one hundred and fifty acres shipped each year, about fifty cars of grain, eighty acres of hay and considerable fruit and other stuff. There is shipped from this point from $12,000 to $15,000 worth of cream each year.
The town has two general stores, a drug store, meat shop, good hotel, grain elevator, blacksmith shop and cement factory, good churches, a high school and a grammar school.
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